FMRCHFENG wrote:Hmmmmmm.........seems like another desperate attempt to slow down the dropping attendance. I used to work there in show production for 6 years, before the corporate sell outs. They never were able to truely turn a major profit. Good Luck!

Right, before Premier/SF, MWAUSA was on the verge of bankruptcy. Since adding rides, the park has slowly come back from the brink and is now one of the most profitable parks in the chain. Not most attended, but most profitable in the chain, as in it makes tons of cash for SF and The City of Vallejo, which is why you're now seeing SF take a special interest in our park.

rishbob wrote:I really appreciate them cleaning up the park, and making it almost brand new, but doesn't anyone realize that what this park needs is a new thrill ride. I think its about time.

I wish we'd get a new coaster too, but SFDK is definitely a step in the right direction regardless. This makeover is what should have been done from day one when the park was turned into a major theme park. The existing park and infrastructure desperately needed an upgrade and makeover, the original park sections looked worn and dated. Past managements solution to increasing attendance was to throw up a stripped down parking lot coaster every other year, and although the coasters are great, the parking lot setting of those along with the dated original park just reeked of poor management and looked like crap.

According to Shapiro, this years makeover is only the beginning of a "major investment" for our park, no doubt some sort of new coaster will eventually grace SFDK (they did after all designate an entire new section for thrills!). But for now, I look at all this as correcting the mistakes and missed opportunities of past management and aligning SFDK to be one of the best and most amazing parks in the chain:

Shapiro also put to rest any thoughts that Discovery Kingdom was on the list of Six Flags parks up for sale. "We'll be here for a long time to come, and this is year one of a major investment," he said.

I'd be very interested to know exactly what changes they thing they can make with a mere 16 million. Also the timeline seems VERY unrealistic. I was there when we opened the park in Vallejo and regardless of what anyone says; we were NOT ready. One example is that the sound booths in the show areas were not even signed off by the general contractor untill the day before opening. Also the subcontractor (Pro Media) never finished much of the installs. Even for the first phase of a make-over 16M just seems like too little to do much with. The parks general operating design does not even support true service and access paths. Most Items must be carted through the park.

Maybe my expectations are just too high. The goal to me is to use the Disney standard as your benchmark. Not many parks come very close to that. I guess we'll see in a few months.

According to Shapiro, this years makeover is only the beginning of a "major investment" for our park, no doubt some sort of new coaster will eventually grace SFDK (they did after all designate an entire new section for thrills!).

Wow just hearing that gets me really excited haha. 16 million dollars is a lot of money, and if what I'm thinking is correct, I think these park renovations will start to happen over a lot of other parks, so think of SFDK as Shapiro's role model. I first thought the name change was just that, and no other changes to the park, but after seeing what they've done, I think very soon PGA will need to do something to start getting more people to come. Coaster war anyone?

chmilo24 wrote:if SFDK gets a new coaster, i think it should be something new,somthing one of a kind, like a LIM or LSM coaster. Not a Vekoma mass-production like a boomerang coaster.

They already have a LIM coaster.

Its not like they cant have another one.

What i think they need is another wood, but with it looking like they want to keep the majority of coasters in the front of the park, now due to the re-themeing, there would not be any room.

I think they should just relocate the park entrance and just build to the edge of the street, that way it could set them up to expand to the fairgrounds(if that ever happens). Well thats just me daydreaming! Im done now!

* Six Flags is purchasing the city of Vallejo's $52 million dollar (or 5.2 trillion pennies) interest in the Discovery Kingdom theme park. In doing so, Six Flags will now completely own the park and is now able to exclusively reap all profits generated from the park, while the city is able to reduce its debt load and improve its bond rating.

* Six Flags spent $16 million in improvements this year at the park as a result of the transformation from Marine World to Discovery Kingdom. Anybody else curious as to how the new signage and animal sculptures, one coaster paint job, and a new train ride cost that much?

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